A starting place for birding information for British Columbia, Canada. This web site features a birders discussion forum, links to birding newsgroups, articles and book reviews, checklists, regional hotspots, photo gallery, weather reports, and visiting birder information.

Hello! I saw what to me looks ALMOST like a Downy Woodpecker this morning at Mill Lake in Abbotsford, but it has the red on the head. Is this a hybrid? Or do I need a new book? Definitely has the white patch on the back. Thanks for your help!

I have the Sibley second edition. I like that it has both genders and lots of juvenile drawings as well. The Sibley guide mentions that the Downy with the red on the head is eastern. You are right, the google images definitely show it as a Downy. Such cute little birds!

Sibley's is a good guide so you are well set for the next ID puzzle. I checked out my copy of Sibley's 2nd a noticed the guide offered a plate of the female pacific downy and the eastern male. That makes it a bit more confusing to ID as the book does not say specifically that eastern and western males look about the same (where the western is a bit duskier as in the female picture.) National Geographic guide just lists male and female Downy Woodpecker and then states that the birds in the pacific are more pale grey/brown in the back and underparts.